Day 9: Merry Christmas from Christchurch, New Zealand!

Something seemed to bring me to celebrate Christmas in Christchurch at the Christchurch Cathedral on the 'Golf Journey to New Zealand.' Maybe it was as simple as the name of New Zealand's largest city on the South Island or as complicated as the earthquake suffered by its citizens, nearly three years ago in February, 2011 that claimed 185 lives. Invitations to experience the challenging golf on the John Darby-Sir Bob Charles-designed Clearwater Golf Club, home to the ISPS Handa NZ Women's Open (won by then 16-year old Kiwi Lydia Ko in 2013) and the exceptional accommodations at the onsite Peppers Clearwater Resort were reason enough but there was that special, beyond words, yearning to be here in Christchurch for Christmas. It's been a spiritual year for me. a year that started with the conclusion of the 100-day, 14-country, 18,471-mile 'Journey to Olympic Golf' odyssey through Mexico, Central and South American. Maybe it was the final preparations to turning 55 in October, is any preparation necessary? By the way I use to say I would take a life of 80 years with good health and a peaceful, merciful ending. Now that I am 55, only 25 years left doesn't seem like such a good deal so I am extending my proposal to age 90. Hopefully, I am sure that at age 65 I will extend that to the ultimate target of 100 years. I was inspired by and want to be like centenarian  Dan Cullen! Obviously, outside of a healthy (or what is deemed to be healthy now) lifestyle and safe living practices (like driving on the right side of the road, meaning the left, here in New Zealand), I have no control over the duration of my lifetime here on Earth. I love being so philosophical around the holidays! Before I get to attending Midnight Mass (a.k.a. known as Carol Singing and Festival Eucharistic here) at the Christchurch Transitional Cathedral (a.k.a. the Cardboard Cathedral) let me share one golfing and life perspective that kept coming to me in the last few days. The golf ball does not know what or whom hits it, i.e. it does not know the golf club, the type of swing (mine is a combination Jim Furyk-John Daly), nor the golfing person who placed it on the tee and subsequently took that swing that sent it flying off somewhere. I thought about this in terms of the great religions of the world, including the agnostic or atheist beliefs.  Does it really matter what religion one is associated with? Aren't most, if not all of the underlying spiritual principles quite similar? Don't our similarities as human beings far surpass our differences? Ultimately, aren't we all citizens of the world as much as we are patriotic country men and women? The thought being what does it matter to the person we are helping, loving, or receiving help and love from, what our religion is? The reality is if you look at the nationalities of the 2,955 heroes of September 11th or the 185 victims of Christchurch's earthquake, any statistical analysis would tell you they are just human beings, world citizens like you and me. Stay with me on this one... I first came to the City Centre of Christchurch in the dark (literally after dark, I had GPS so I knew where I was going) and the first structure I recognized was the lighted Cardboard Cathedral. It was like a lighthouse for me the journeyman golfer looking to celebrate Christmas in a meaningful way. Luckily, I arrived early and got one of the last seats for the Anglican service. It seemed as the words of the carols sung by the Cathedral Choir were being sung to me and reaffirmed my personal journey of the last 12 months. Isn't joy to be found in this world through truth and grace? The choir leader divided us up by hemispheres for one song so we could try to raise the roof in the new earthquake-safe building made of cardboard support cylinders. Though well represented by the British Isles, we Northern Hemis were quite under vocalized. It was a beautiful mass that captured the essence of the heart and spirit of the recovering people of this rebuilding community. Christchurch is in the midst of its transformation from 'Quake City' to the 'Newest City on Earth,' rebuilding on, and with its reputation of being the world's foremost 'Garden City.' Amidst an attitude of "positivity and inspiration," this city is on the mend and well onward on 'the comeback and become beyond what we were' trail. In Rory McIlroy terms, the latest quake was that tee shot on the 10th on Sunday in the 2011 Masters. That Masters did not define him as he won the next major, the United States Open at Congressional CC, in convincing fashion and has now won four of the last fifteen majors. When he wins the Masters sometime soon, as I am sure most of us think he will, he will complete the career Grand Slam. Christchurch, in a sense, is like that, in that it will come back stronger, better than ever and more than ever thought possible. A Christmas Day round of golf at Clearwater Golf Club followed my early morning visit to the heart of Christchurch.I had enjoyed a festive first round the day before with several members. Time spent afterwards in 'The Golfers Lounge' made me feel like a member myself. Though late Christmas morning the course was desolate. As I walked to the first tee I was surprised to see another golfer ahead doing the same thing. What were the chances? I met Zaki from Singapore and we walked and played a fun round of golf together. Though birdie-less we both hit career approach shots on the difficult 18th and missed makeable 12-foot putts for birdie and took a picture to commemorate the memorable December 25th round. Long after I knew he was a great person and a new golfing buddy, somewhere on the back nine, through our conversation I learned that he was a Muslim. It seems I got all that I wanted for Christmas this year. A new sense of hope as demonstrated by the people and places of Christchurch. My belief that no matter what happens, in this world, our positive human spirit will more than endure, it will prosper, is surging anew and more vigorously. Remember that is some respects, we and religion can learn something from a golf ball. My Christmas wish and prayer is that there be peace on earth. If we can do it with ourselves, and one-on-one, human-to-human, then why can't those people who represent us do the same thing country-to-country? I hope your Christmas was peaceful, joyous and everything you wanted it to be! Merry Christmas everyone, I hope it was beautiful in every way!   (Facebook Link, Andy Reistetter, 12/25/14)